Now that the academic requirements of the project have been fulfilled, we thought we would reflect on what has been accomplished throughout the term.

What did we contribute to the community we served?
Our CBEL group helped kickstart the upgrading of Options’ Guildford playground site with a piece of equipment that children are sure to love. The playground will serve as a safe source of exploration and enjoyment for the local children, and we’re proud to have been a part of that process. The time our group has saved Options by acquiring and building the musical chimes is time that their employees have been spending helping their community in a variety of different ways.

What did we learn about project context, planning and implementation?
Though our group has only been working together for a little over three months, we have learned a tremendous amount in that time. The first realization that our group made is that it is important to think in terms of what the client actually needs, not what you would like to do. As an example, the initial description of the CBEL project we accepted was to provide a full site upgrade plan for the Guildford playground site. However, upon first contact with Katherine at Options we all quickly realized that while we could indeed do a site plan, actually building a piece of equipment for the site would serve their goals much better.

In regards to project planning, our group quickly learned to encourage strong and regular communication between all parties involved in the project. Whether it is between group members, clients or suppliers, frequent updates and emails allows everyone to stay up-to-date with expectations and progress. In particular, having all members of our CBEL group informed of what the other members were doing allowed for everyone to be accommodating to any changes in plans.

The project implementation phase was especially an excellent lesson for our CBEL group. While it was not immediately obvious to us, it eventually became apparent that implementation requires an extensive list of small logistical tasks that quickly add up. By having a strong logistics plan where all materials and tasks are identified, no matter how seemingly small, it becomes possible to implement the project without the constant delays caused by overlooked equipment or material.

After completing our final draft of the wooden frame to hold the chimes, an email was sent to Katherine at Options. In it, we described our desire to work past the end of the academic term in order to finish the construction of the Musical Chime project. As well, it included our final design for the frame and how much it would cost. In turn, we received permission to go ahead with ordering the chimes, an address to which it should be shipped and a tentative date in the middle of April on which the construction could be completed.

Over the course of the project, we are most pleased with how inter-group communication unfolded and the extent to which we were able to address the client’s needs. Including Options, our CBEL group and all of the material distributors that have been contacted, emails and information requests have been consistently answered within a few days at the latest. Further, all parties have done their best to be accommodating and flexible when it comes to client requests. As an example, the chime distributors normally ship their product at a higher cost due to the inclusion of their own frame, but in our case generously agreed to sell the chimes as a separate product.

After some reflection, the only aspect of the project that we do not believe went according to plan was the timeline on acquisition of supplies. Due to the supplier we contacted residing in the U.S, it will take at least 8 days for the musical chimes to arrive at Options’ Guildford center. While it puts a delay in our construction schedule, our CBEL group is appreciative of the fact that our largest issue is ultimately only a slight inconvenience.

While we expected there to be large deviations from the initial project scope, there have only been one worth mentioning: Rope-length. A safety concern was raised by Options regarding the length of the rope that was planned to connect the Mallets used to strike the chimes and the frame holding the chimes. They believed that a rope long enough to allow the mallets to strike every chime would pose a hazard, as it might be possible for a child to be entangled. To address this concern, we suggested a lateral pole that connects to the base of each frame post, to which a shortr rope connecting the mallets could be attached. This would allow for a shortened rope, as it would slide along the length of the pole to preserve mobility while reducing the tangle hazard.

At the moment, we are pleased with the physical outcomes of the project. The chimes have been ordered, the frame design is complete, and all of the materials needed to finish constructing the frame have their locations known and their costs approved. We look forward to making good on our promise to deliver to Options a physical piece of equipment for their upgraded Guildford playground.